I seriously suggest you DON'T keep them in the house You might brood them in the house, but then they need to go outside. Where abouts in Florida are you? as in how cold do your winters get?? T hey will need shelter from the elements, and a heat lamp will do the trick. They will produce alot of heir own body heat, too

As for feed, I did 24. I had them on two 50# bags of medicated starter, then swiched over to meat builder. I'm not sure how many bags of that I went through.

Seriously--they need to go ouside, for your healh and for theirs.

When my last batch went to butcher--it had been freezing a night for about a week.

I think the pine shavings with DE seems to be best. I used to raise finches,parakeets and cockateils. I always used paper covered with pine shavings. I just learned about using DE and think it would be really good. I don't think your crazy for keeping them inside. Better than having sick birds. Good luck!

Quote:Why would they be sick by keeping them ouside? I think the birds and the ppl would be more prone to illness from keeping them inside. The sink, for starters, then the dust, the feahers. 8 weeks is a long time to be dealing with that.

All would be better off if they are kept outside. Plus the house would stink forever. Meat birds are alot different than finches parakeets and cockatiels. All they do is eat and poop--and he poop is wicked.

Mine get raised in a tractor from day 1. They are kept in a "sheltered" box and let out into the tractor's run at about 2 weeks old. I usually raise them in march or so and nights get into the 30's. If you can keep draft off, and heat up, they'll be fine.

Wire for meat birds as a floor is often not advised due to their weight and propensity to have foot, toe, and breast problems rubbing on the wire.

I raised 5 meat birds, and the mess was terrible and they were outside!! I fed chick starter and meat bird feed.
once they are feathered they usually do fine outside, but ours, the bigger they got, the more they just ate laying down, they wouldn't even stand up! So, I had to keep bedding down and pick them up alot and clean them off.

you really need meat bird feed though, because they grow so fast if they don't get the right feed, they will break their legs just standing up.

The smell is really bad too. I had 25 chicks in the house in a big walmart potato box, and they were in the house for 6 weeks, and didn't make as much mess and smell as the 5 meat birds, which went out in the barn after the second week in another big walmart box.

good luck with your birds!!!

hopefully when they get bigger and feathered you will find someplace for them, even if its a garage!!